Road Accidents In India: Who's To Blame? Drivers, Road Safety Or Regulatory Procedure?

 At about 11 pm, an accident had already occurred involving a Thar and a three-wheeler carrying goods. Curious bystanders had gathered at the site along with several policemen to assess the accident and clear the area. Some streetlights were not working near the accident site, and there was no barricade at the scene, which was bang in the middle of the road with a 80-100 kmph speed limit.

Just as the site was being cleared some 30 minutes later, Patel’s car got onto the flyover travelling at about 140 kmph, well above the speed limit. Patel realised people were on the road when he was 70 to 80 metres away.

Patel failed to hit the brakes on time, crashing into the group: killing 9 people and injuring 13 others. The accident shocked the conscience of not only Ahmedabad but also the entire country, making it one of the most gruesome accidents in recent history.

Apart from reckless driving by youngsters, the accident highlighted several other factors which contribute to the rising number of accidents on Indian roads, and these need closer examination.

Increasing Death Tolls On Indian Roads

With a total road length of 62.1 lakh kilometres, India is home to the second-largest road network in the world. India’s road network, besides being a major contributor to socio-economic growth and development, also has the highest contribution of accidental deaths with road accidents accounting for 36-38 per cent, an average of 1,50,000 each year. 

In its Road Accidents in India 2022 report, the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said 4,61,312 road accidents were reported, resulting in 1,68,491 deaths and 4,43,366 injuries. 

Compared to 2021, there was an 11.9 per cent increase in accidents and a 9.4 per cent increase in deaths. In 2021, there were 4.03 lakh accidents with over 1.55 lakh deaths and 3.71 lakh injuries. In 2020, there were 3.54 lakh accidents with 1.33 lakh deaths, and in 2019, 4.37 lakh accidents with 1.54 lakh deaths.

One person is killed in a road accident every four minutes in the country. On an average, India witnesses 1,264 road accidents and 462 deaths every day: 53 crashes and 19 deaths every hour, according to India's latest Road Accidents report.

Over the last six months, several hit-and-runs have occurred in New Delhi, Mumbai, Pune and Ahmedabad resulting in some of the most gruesome deaths and the toll is only on the rise. Experts estimate this has caused a 5- 7 per cent loss to the GDP.

The problem has become so serious that Union Minister Nitin Gadkari announced on August 1, 2024 that all road accident victims will be provided cashless treatment from now under the Motor Vehicles Act of 1988. Such treatment has been implemented only in Assam and Chandigarh until now. This is a step in the right direction but is only palliative and not prevention-based. 

There have been significant budget allocations for roads and highways, but is there a need to focus on other areas for investment through policy and planning?

Experts Say Multitude Of Factors At Play

There have been so many accidents in the past that one takes the loss of life in an accident as the normal course of things. 

Beyond the driver, several elements contribute to road safety. According to a road and transport engineer from the Centre of Excellence at CEPT University, traffic channelisation is almost nonexistent in India. 

Effective traffic management, identifying conflict points, and ensuring consistent lane driving are areas where India is still developing. Critical aspects of road design include lane design and visibility, both in terms of angle and lighting.

Road design itself is another factor. Features like straight stretches, curved roads, culvert locations, bridges, and potholes contribute to accidents.

Ketansinh Purohit, a traffic police officer for 20 years, emphasises that driver behaviour is central. Even careful drivers and pedestrians can be caught in accidents due to reckless driving, paying a high cost, sometimes with their lives.

Purohit highlights a significant issue on Indian roads: inconsistent speed limits on the same road across different stretches. "When you start from Gandhinagar on SG Highway, the speed limit is around 120 kmph, but as you approach the outskirts of Ahmedabad, it changes to 100 kmph and eventually to 80 kmph, even though the road width, quality, and traffic flow remain the same. However, some parts are treated as city roads and others as highways. This creates confusion and leads to constant violations across the stretch. There needs to be speed limit consistency, either at 80 or 120 kmph, for driving behaviour to become more consistent," he added.

Senior Superintendent of Traffic Police, Hasmukh Vaghela, RTO Ahmedabad, adds that while police are trained in post-accident guidelines, they often fail to recognise the seriousness of situations and address accidents without proper barricading and preventive measures. This is crucial not just for accidents but also for large construction sites like Metro and BRTS projects.

Vaghela points out the underreporting of accidents involving influential families. He suggests that databases of family-owned cars should be accessible to the police. Additionally, recent accidents show that 16-year-olds can drive dangerously and cause fatalities. Juvenile law should be re-examined for hit-and-run cases, and the licensing system should be made stricter, beyond just a test of changing gears and reversing.

By addressing these multifaceted issues comprehensively, one can hope to make significant strides in improving road safety and reducing the number of accidents.

These accidents underscore several critical issues: road safety, police procedures, street design and lighting, post-accident protocols, and the handling of cars driven by drunk or underage drivers. Factors such as ongoing construction work, negligent barricading, speed breakers, weather conditions, and inadequate road signage also play significant roles.